Christian Parenting Blog

The number one topic that brings people to my blog via Google search is whether or not to force kids to go to church (Google has put my page, “Should You Force Your Kids To Go To Church?” at the top of search results on the matter). Given how many parents search on the topic, it is obviously a common problem and question.
I have not yet had the experience of dealing with this as a parent since my kids are so young, but I happen to have a wealth of first-hand experience with the issue: I Read More...

I long to have a faith of steel. I want eloquent, passionate prayers to spring forth from my adoring soul. I want to feel deeply connected to God when I pray, resting in the peace of His presence. I want to read Psalms and feel the majestic awe that David did.
But that is never how my faith has been. Persistently sandwiched between me and God is a layer of doubt.
I firmly believe and know in my heart I will never actually turn from God. The problem is, simply believing in God without fully Read More...

In April, I wrote about “My Personal Story With Infertility.” In that post I mentioned that we still have a frozen embryo with the infertility clinic, and are planning to transfer it to me this year to give it a chance at life. Last week I had a preliminary appointment with the doctor and I entered that office for the first time in six years.
I walked into the reception area filled with couples and took my seat. I got out my phone and occupied myself online for a good hour. I eventually looked Read More...

This is the second post in a two-part series on serving the homeless. If you missed the first part, “Why Are the Homeless Homeless?” be sure to read it first.
I hate to say it, but it is pretty easy to look at a homeless person and do absolutely nothing. We feel uncomfortable, we feel sad, we feel intimidated and we don’t know what to do.
But what if you had ideas of how to serve the homeless? What if you could raise your kids to be the hands and feet of Jesus for the homeless rather Read More...

In honor of Father’s Day, I’m devoting my next two posts to a topic near and dear to my husband’s heart: serving the homeless. Bryan leads a ministry that serves hot meals weekly to the homeless here in Southern California. Before he got involved with this, neither of us really knew anything about the needs of the homeless. Over the last two years, however, Bryan has gotten to know many of the homeless people in the area personally through the opportunity to serve them meals and pray with them Read More...

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.” (Matthew 6:27-29)
Growing up, worry was practically a family member in our house. It was always there, and if it wasn’t, we pretty much went looking for it. There was nearly constant worry over money, health, political outcomes, the weather, Read More...

Today is my 36th birthday. In 36 years of birthdays, I don’t think there has been a less interesting one. When I was younger, birthdays were an exciting time to contemplate the future, think about who I wanted to be and what I wanted to become. That excitement has dwindled over time as I’ve unraveled more and more answers to those questions. At 36, I find myself thinking there isn’t much left to figure out about myself; I am who I am now.
Technically speaking, that is scientifically true. Read More...

Two weeks ago, I received a notice from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that it was time to come in and renew my driver’s license. I don’t know what the DMV is like in other parts of the country, but in Southern California it is widely known to be a disaster – one that you don’t set foot in without an appointment. I promptly made my appointment online and headed for the DMV one morning last week.
As expected, the walk-in line was out the door. Never mind those people, I thought Read More...